Beat the Garbage Monster: here’s why you should be separating your waste

Oct 14 2022

As the world continues to battle the ongoing climate crisis, waste separation has become more important than ever. Even in Malta, efforts have been made to adopt sustainable waste practices… but we could always do more.

Waste separation efforts have paid off over the past year, with the amount of non-recyclable waste in the recycling bag dropping from 25% to 20%, but we cannot stop here. That is why WasteServ has embarked on another informative campaign, this time focusing on organic waste.

As a matter of fact, WasteServ has noted that 40% of the contents of the country’s black trash bags are made up of organic waste. Naturally, this poses a number of problems.

When organic waste ends up in the wrong bag, we miss a chance to turn that waste into electricity. Last year alone, WasteServ generated enough electricity for 500 homes. Also, black bags end up in the landfill, and any organic waste left in these bags ends up rotting, and releasing methane, a greenhouse gas which has 25 times the warming power of carbon dioxide. Thus, we would be also contributing to climate change.

So, remember all fruit and vegetable peelings, any uneaten food and plate scrapings, bread and pastries, cooked meat including bones, fish, mouldy or expired food without its packaging, non-liquid dairy products, eggs and eggshells, rice, pasta, beans, tea bags and coffee grounds should all go in the white bags. Non-food items which can also be thrown in this bag include napkins soiled with food and very small garden waste like flowers and leaves but no twigs.

If you want to know more about this campaign, you can visit WasteServ’s website. You can also download WasteServ’s handy Waste Separation Guide containing information on what goes in each bag as well as information about all the waste disposal services offered. Just visit wsm.com.mt/guide

Do YOU separate your waste correctly?

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Why is everyone talking about CBD and what are its benefits?

Oct 14 2022

Cannabidiol, more popularly known as CBD, is a chemical which is covered all too often in the media… but how familiar are we with what it actually is?

CBD oil has gained popularity over the past few years, especially for its holding in the world of health and wellness. CBD is well-known for its capabilities in controlling anxiety, relieving pain, stimulating appetite and treating other symptoms. To clarify, the main psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the compound which causes the sensation of being high.

On the other hand, CBD is not psychoactive and is often diluted with carrier oils such as coconut oil for eventual use in products such as food, drinks, supplements, skincare products and more. All cannabinoids act as messengers to our body’s receptors and help regulate pain, muscle control and inflammation, with evidence also showing that they can improve sleeping patterns and help with depression or anxiety.

Cannabis was made legal for recreational use in Malta after President George Vella signed the cannabis bill, making it into law back in December, making Malta the first country in the European Union to legalise cannabis for recreational use. From that point on, Malta’s market saw a sharp increase in products such as CBD oil, skin care & topicals, CBD vapes.

They also offer alternative products like cannabigerol (CBG) which helps fight inflammation, pain, nausea and works to slow the proliferation of cancer cells and cannabinol (CBN) which may contribute to one’s immune system and reduce pain. If you’re after these products, brands like Utoya have got you sorted on anything you may need and you can find them on their website https://utoya.eu/ and benefit from 15% off with code MALTADAILY.

This article was written in collaboration with 420.mt.

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Netflix’s $7 per month ad-plan to launch this November

Oct 14 2022

Netflix revealed on Thursday that a streaming plan with adverts will be introduced by November for around $7 a month in a move to bring in new subscribers.

The $6.99 cost for the ‘Basic with Ads’ plan is $3 less than Netflix’s lowest priced plan without commercials. It will only be available in 12 countries at first and then eventually extending out.

Users subscribing to the plan will see four to five minutes of advertising per hour, with newly released films having limited advertisement to ‘preserve the cinematic experience.’

However, around 5 to 10% of Netflix’s programming will be unavailable on the ad-supported alternative due to licensing restrictions. This comes as shares for the streaming giant went up 5.4% after the company stock had fallen 62% this year.

The ad-plan also comes despite years of avoiding the move by Netflix’s executives. Meanwhile, competitors such as Disney+ and HBO Max already have ad-supported options that cost less.

Netflix reported around 220.7 million paying subscribers as of June, which is a drop of nearly 1.2 million from the start of the same year of 2022. It will remain to be seen how this new service will impact viewership, with Netflix itself remaining conservative about such data as of yet.

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Wildlife populations declined by 70% in just 50 years…thanks to humans

Oct 14 2022

A new scientific assessment has revealed the earth’s wildlife populations declined by an average of 69% in just 50 years due to human interference.

The plunging populations are across the board, from oceans to rainforests, and have seen the populations declining on average by over two-thirds between 1970 and 2018.

According to the WWF and Zoological Society of London’s ‘Living Planet Report’, the figure stood at 68% two years ago. This dropped from 60% from four years prior, leading to scientists suggesting we’re currently living through the sixth mass extinction.

This would make it the largest loss of biodiversity since the dinosaur period – and it is being driven by us humans.

The Living Planet Index brings together a global analysis of 32,000 populations of 5,230 animal species to measure changes in their populations. Latin America and the Amazon region saw the largest decline in average wildlife population size – a 94% drop in 48 years.

Meanwhile, Africa had the second largest drop at 66%, followed by Asia and the Pacific with 55% and North America at 20%. Europe and Central Asia saw an 18% drop. The total loss would be akin to the human population of Europe, the Americas, Africa, Oceania and China disappearing.

The report’s 89 authors are urging world leaders to reach a new agreement at the Cop15 biodiversity summit in Canada this December. This would see carbon emissions being slashed to 1.5C this decade to put an end to the destruction.

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